Record holder



J. J. MoTYKA ETAL RECORD HOLDER Filed March 31, 1958 Sept. 29, 1959 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 2,906,408 nncoau HoLDER John I. Motyka and Phillip J. Loui, Chicag'o]1l. Application March 31, 1958, Serial No. 725,183 Claims. (Cl.,21140) The invention relates to improvements in indexing holders or racks for phonograph records or other disc-shaped articles, and is more particularly concerned with the novel construction and parts arrangement of a circular or spool-shaped holder of a character that will accommodate a large number of records compactly and in readily accessible positions. Y

More particularly, the structure herein disclosed cornprises a pair of vertically spaced circular walls having 1ndexed vertically aligned complemental radial guideways opening onto the outer peripheral edges of said walls so as to receive. therein the peripheral margins of records for supporting the records in vertical planes extending radially from the axis of the holder.

The vertically spaced walls are interconnected 1n a novel manner so as to be adjustably located relative to each other in a plurality of vertically spaced` positions to adapt the holder to receive and hold different sized records.

It, isl therefore lan object of the invention` to provide a novelly constructed recorder holder.

Another object is to provide a record holder of the character referred to which will accommodate a large number of records and facilitate the indexing of the same. n

Another object is to provide a record holder capable of being adjusted easily and quickly so as to adapt 1t to hold records of different diameters.

Another object is to provide a novel record holder that is inexpensive to construct, easy to assemble, readily adjustable, eicient in use and durable.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the. invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, it :being understood that various changes yin the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit of sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective View of the record holder or rack.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical central sectional View of the holder.

"ice

stantially on line '3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the holder adjusted.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional detail view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The record holder disclosed in the accompanying drawings is substantially spool-shaped and it comprises, Agenerally, a lower or base portion 11 and an upper portion 12 suitably connected together, in a manner to be described in detail presently, by a sleeve 13 so as to afford a gap of predetermined height between said portions to admit records 14 therebetween for storage. These portions and the sleeve preferably are fabricated from suitable plastic material, as by molding.

The lower or base portion 11 comprises a circular bottom wall, generally indicated at 15, comprised of adownwardly extending peripheral flange 16, a horizontal rim area 17, and a downwardly radially inclined intermediate area 18 which preferably terminates in the plane of the bottom edge of the flange 16 and merges into an upwardly extending frusto-conical axial wall or hub portion 19. The upper extremity of the hub portion 19has, integral therewith, an internal cylindrical flange- 21 adaptedto slidably receive the lower end portion of the con-v necting sleeve 13 therein. The rim area 17' and the inclined intermediate area 18 is suitably formed with mutually spaced radial slots 22, which slots may extend part way down into the flange 16, as shown. These slots, preferably numbering ninety in the present disclosure, constitute guideways each to receive and hold a phonograph. record 14.

The upper portion 12 of theV assemblyr includes a circular wall generally indicated at 23, consisting of an annular planar rim 24 terminating at its inner periphery in `a short downwardly extending circular wall or off-set 25, the lower edge of which is contiguous with the base of' an inverted truste-conical wall or hub portion 26. VThe lower or smaller diameter of'said hub portion 26 is adapted to telescopically receive the upper end portion of the connecting sleeve 13 therein so as to join the two portions 11 and 12. A plurality of mutually spaced-depending radial ribs 27 are formed integral with the ri-m 24, wall 25 and base of the hub wall 26, as shown, lto deiine mutually spaced radial spaces or guideways 28 complemental to the radial guideways 22 in the bottom'wallA 15 of the base portion 11.

A cap plate 29 comprised of a dished circular Wall 3=1 and an upstanding axial knob 32 is press-fitted' into the upper end of the upper portion 12 intight frictionalbinding engagement with the circular wall 25 thereofl Pref--y erably, the outside surface of lthe knob 32 is lluted, as 'ati 33, to permit it to be grasped and heldv firmly `when it is desired to rotate or otherwise' move the record holden The connecting sleeve 13 comprises a thin walled tube having a notch 34 on its upper peripheral edge to receive a lug 35 formed integral with the inside face of the lower reduced extremity of the hub 26 when said end is pressiitted into said hub into abutment with an internal circumferential flange 36 on said wall face.

The connecting sleeve 13 is also formed with a longitudinal slot 37 which has a flared mouth 38 opening onto the lower end thereof and which terminates short of the other or upper end of said sleeve. The slot 37 is formed with spaced enlargements 39 for a purpose to be explained presently. The inside face of the cylindrical ange 21 in the hub portion 19 has a circular boss 41 formed integral therewith and which has an inclined face area 42.

When the lower, slotted end of the connecting sleeve 13 is telescoped into the cylindrical flange 21, the inclined face area 42 of boss 41 initially engages the sleeve l 2,906,408 l' y on opposite sides of the ared mouth 38 of slot 37 so as to cause said sleeve to ex sufficiently to enable it to pass over the boss 41 whereupon said boss seats itself initially in the lowermost one of the spaced enlargements 39, as shown in Fig. 2. When in this position, the upper' portion 12 of the assembly is spaced from the lower portion 11 a distance suicient to accommodate records 14 of a predetermined size.

In order to adapt the holder to the reception of records of smaller diameter, the upper portion 12 is forced downwardly so as to locate the boss 41 in the upper one of the enlargements 39, as shown in Fig. 3. Vertical registration or alignment of the record receiving guideways 22 and 28 on the bottom and top portions is assured by the relative location of the intermatching notch and lug 34-35 and slot and boss 37-41, which prevent relative rotation of the assembled parts.

As is best shown in Fig. 2, the records 14 are supported edgewise and are retained frctionally in placebetween the upper rim 24 and the bottom perimeter flange 16 and they are, at all times, so positioned that their center of gravity is inwardly of the slotted perimeter flange 16. Because of this, the records tend to gravitate toward the axial center of the holder or rack and, even though some of the records may be olf-size suiiciently to fail to be frctionally held, they will be retained in position by gravity alone. The location and selection of any specifc record inthe holder may be facilitated by providing indicia markings 43 on the upper face of the rim 24, which markings may be coordinated with a numbered list of the holder contents.

It should be quite evident that the record holder is simple to manufacture, is readily assembled and adjusted, is pleasing in its appearance and, that, the records may be easily and quickly inserted in and withdrawn from the rack without diculty.

It is believed that the invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

What is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a holder for disc-like articles, the combination of, a fianged base portion, a flanged upper portion, a substantially tubular hub extending from one face of each portion, said hubs being arranged in axially aligned opposed relation, a sleeve telescoped into said hubs for connecting said portions together, means in one hub for holding said sleeve against rotation therein, means in the other hub engageable with the sleeve to hold the sleeve against rotation and in a plurality of positions of axial adjustment therein, and means on each portion to support one or more disc-like articles arranged between the anges and in a plane extending radially of the hubs.

2. In a holder of thev character recited in claim 1, in which a hand grip is provided on the upper portion.

3. In a holder of the character recited in claim l, in which indexing indicia is provided on one of said portions.

4. In a holder of the character recited in claim l, in which the rst named means for holding the sleeve against rotation comprises a notch in the sleeve and a complemental lug in the said one hub.

5. In a holder of the character recited in claim 1, in which the second named means for holding the sleeve against rotation comprises a slot in the sleeve and a complemental boss on the said other hub.

6. In a holder of the character recited in claim 5, in which the slot has spaced enlargements to receive the boss in a plurality of positions therein.

7. A holder for phonograph records comprising, in combination, a base portion including a circular base wall, an upper portion including a circular wall, opposed axially aligned substantially tubular hubs on said walls for maintaining said walls in axially aligned opposed spaced apart relation, complemental record receiving guideways in the opposed -faces of said walls, connecting means telescoped into said hubs, and matching elements on the hubs and connecting means to facilitate circumferential alignment of record receiving guideways.

8. A holder of the character recited in claim 7 in which the connecting means is adjustable relative to one of said portions.

9. A holder for disc-like articles comprising, in combination, a circular base portion including a planar peripheral wall area and a substantially frusto-conical axial hub extending upwardly from the peripheral wall area, an upper circular portion including a planar peripheral wall area and a substantially frusto-conical hub extending downwardly from its peripheral wall area, a plurality of mutually spaced radial guideways in the opposed faces of the peripheral wall areas and opening onto the peripheral edges of said wall areas, and means connecting said hubs n axial alignment and against relative rotation so as to maintain said guideways in registering alignment to receive peripheral margins of disc-like articles arranged between said opposed wall areas.

10. A holder of the character recited in claim 9, in which the connecting means is adjustable axially relative to at least one of the circular portions.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 379,252 Thatcher Mar. 13, 1888 1,397,940 Vastola Nov. 22, 1921 1,436,026 Ferge Nov. 2l, 1922 

